Friday, January 15, 2010

Does anyone elses dog have long nail beds/cuticles?

My spitz/mix has very long nail beds/cuticles. Even after I take her to get her nails clipped they are still long. I am wonder if this is common in spitzs breeds.Does anyone elses dog have long nail beds/cuticles?This happens when the dogs nails get long for a long period of time, their 'quick' grows out. And sometimes the dog just has a long quick naturally. To try to reduce the size, so they can get cut shorter, clip your dogs nails every 2 weeks, even if they don't look like they need clipped, just clip the very tips off so the quick can shorten. It is a slow process, but it does help a little. I hope this is what you were asking.Does anyone elses dog have long nail beds/cuticles?yes and he is just a year and a halfI was wondering the same. I have a 4 yr old Pit Bull with the same issue. I clip her nails myself, just the white part. But the pink parts are still really long. I don't want to cut any further, that would really hurt her. I'm looking forward to the answers too.You should get them clipped more often. If you slowly clip back closer and closer to the living portion of the nail, it will receed back. I work in a vet and see long cuticles/nailbeds in all sorts of breeds. I have not noticed a trend in breeds or types of dogs.This can be a very common problem in all breeds. There are only 2 ways to get the nails shorter. The first way (and most recommended) is to have her nails trimmed as short as possible every 2 weeks. When they trim the nails ask them to trim them as short as possible. Over time this will slowly drive the ';quick'; back so the nails will be able to be trimmed shorter each time. It may also be helpful to file the nails a little (if she will let you) between trimmings to help the process along. Keep in mind that dogs have nail quicks just like people and if the nail is trimmed too short it will bleed. This is why the nails are still long even after they have been trimmed. As you are working with your groomer/vet through this process the nail may be cut too short a couple of times, causing the nail to bleed some. They will stop the bleeding with a powder made just for this purpose, and your dog will be fine.

The second option for getting the nails short is common in show dogs, but more costly. The pet is sedated or placed under anesthesia and the nails are ground back with a dremel-like tool. This can be much more painful for the dog, but allows for an immediate result. If you opt for this option, the quicks will be shorter after a couple of weeks, and with regular trimming (every 2-4 weeks) the nails should stay short and you shouldn't have to repeat the procedure.

These are the 2 options I am most familiar with. I have personally used the first option (my dog's nails were really long when I rescued her) and after about 3 months the nails were at a reasonable length. After that, it just becomes a matter of nail maintenance. I trim my dogs nails every 2-4 weeks (depending on my schedule) and they remain a reasonable length.

You can try the first method at home, if your dog will let you. If the nail bleeds, simply press flour or cornstarch into the quick until the bleeding stops (30-60 seconds). Note that if you do cut the quick it can be uncomfortable for the dog and she may wimper or whine.

Your vet can give you further advice on what may be the best solution for your particular situation since he/she knows your pet better than I.